Stimulants and HIV: Addressing Contemporary and Recurring Epidemics (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Required)

The grant titled "Stimulants and HIV: Addressing Contemporary and Recurring Epidemics (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Required)" highlights recent trends and challenges in drug use, particularly opioids and stimulants, as well as their link to HIV cases. Since 2016, there has been an upwards trend in stimulant use among opioid users, evidenced by overdose data. This complicates the task of controlling the opioid epidemic, particularly as the influx of fentanyl and related compounds persists.

Moreover, health providers face unfamiliar clinical problems when dealing with stimulant/opioid users. Often, even seasoned professionals find that patients using multiple substances are less inclined to address their stimulant use. In addition to opioids, stimulant use, notably involving meth, cocaine, and ketamine, represents a significant percentage of HIV cases among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). However, such drug use tends to be episodic and problematic, and may not necessarily classify as severe substance use disorder (SUD), or only as mild SUD. Furthermore, risky behaviors such as syringe sharing and unprotected sex are associated with this type of drug use.

To make things more challenging, there are few tools available for treating stimulant use. This is particularly the case when the drug use is not classed as SUD or is only mild SUD. As new treatments emerge, they should be integrated into ongoing initiatives. The grant emphasizes the importance of focusing on the challenge of stimulant use in combination with opioids. This includes the need to identify user motivations and contexts to implement interventions more effectively.